Latin — 1533, repaired
Est Platonicorum omnium unanimis sententia, quemadmodum in archetypo mundo omnia sunt in omnibus, ita etiam in hoc corporeo mundo omnia in omnibus esse, modis tamen diversis, pro natura videlicet suscipientium: sic et elementa non solum non sunt in istis inferioribus, sed etiam in caelis, in stellis, in daemonibus, in angelis, in ipso denique omnium opifice et archetypo. Sed in istis inferioribus elementa sunt crassae quaedam formae, immersae materiae, et materialia elementa; in caelis autem sunt elementa per totum naturas et vires, modo videlicet caelesti et multo excellentiori quam infra lunam. Nam caelestis terrae soliditas illic est absque crassitudine aquae, et aeris agilitas procul ab effluxu, ignis calor ibi non urens, sed lucens, omniaque suo calore vivificans.
Ex stellis praeterea ignei sunt Mars atque Sol; aerei, Iupiter et Venus; aquei, Saturnus et Mercurius; terrei, qui incolunt orbem octavum, atque Luna (quae tamen a plerisque aquea putatur), quando videlicet terrae instar caelestes aquas attrahit, quibus imbibita vicinitate sua illas nobis influit et communicat. Sunt etiam inter signa quaedam ignea, quaedam terrea, quaedam aerea, quaedam aquea: reguntque in caelis elementa, quatuor illas triplicitates distribuentes, illis cuiusque elementi principium, medium et finem: sic principium ignis Aries, progressum et augmentum Leo, finem Sagittarius habent; principium terrae Taurus, progressum Virgo, extremum Capricornus; aeris principium Gemini, processum Libra, terminum Aquarius; aquae principium Cancer, medium Scorpius, finem Pisces possident. Ex horum itaque planetarum et signorum mixtionibus simul cum elementis conficiuntur omnia corpora.
Iam vero etiam et daemones hac ratione a se distincti sunt, ut alii dicantur ignei, alii terrestres, alii aerei, alii aquei. Hinc illi apud inferos quatuor fluvii: igneus Phlegethon, aereus Cocytus, Styx aqueus, terreus Acheron. Quin et in evangeliis legimus ignem gehennae, et ignem aeternum, in quem ire iubebuntur maledicti; et in Apocalypsi legitur stagnum ignis; et Esaias de damnatis ait: Percutiet eos dominus aere corrupto; et apud Iob: Ad nimium calorem transilient ab aquis nivium; et apud eundem legimus terram tenebrosam et opertam mortis caligine, terram miseriae et tenebrarum. Proinde etiam in supremis illis angelis et beatis intelligentiis haec elementa ponuntur: est enim in ipsis essentiae stabilitas, terrea vis, qua sunt firma dei sedilia; est et clementia pietasque, aquea virtus mundans (hinc a Psalmista vocantur aquae, ubi de caelo ait: Qui regis aquas superiora eius); sunt etiam in illis aer subtilis spiritus, et amor ignis relucens (hinc vocantur a sacris literis perflatus ventorum, et alibi de illis ait Psalmista: Qui facis angelos tuos spiritus, et ministros tuos ignem urentem).
Ex ordinibus quoque angelicis ignei sunt Seraphin, et Virtutes, et Potestates; terrei Cherubin, aquei Throni, et Archangeli; aerei Dominationes et Principatus. De ipso etiam archetypo omnium rerum opifice non elegit[†ur]: Aperiatur terra, et germinet salvatorem? Nonne de eodem dicitur, fons aquae vivae, mundificans et regenerans? Nonne idem spiritus spirans, spiraculum vitae? Idemque etiam Mose et Paulo testibus, ignis consumens est. Elementa igitur ubique, et in omnibus reperiri suo modo, nemo negare potest: primum in istis inferioribus, sed secreta et crassa; in caelestibus autem puriora et nitida; in supracaelestibus vero viventia, et ex omni parte beata. Sunt igitur elementa, in archetypo idea eorum quae producenda sunt, in intelligentiis distributae potestates, in caelis virtutes, in inferioribus crassiores formae.
Close translation
It is the unanimous opinion of all the Platonists that, just as in the archetypal world all things are in all things, so too in this corporeal world all things are in all things — though in different modes, according to the nature of the thing receiving them. So too the elements are not only present in these lower things, but also in the heavens, in the stars, in demons, in angels, and finally in the very maker and archetype of all things. But in these lower things the elements are certain gross forms, immersed in matter, and material elements; whereas in the heavens the elements exist in their full natures and powers, in a celestial mode, that is, and one far more excellent than what lies beneath the moon. For the solidity of celestial earth there is without the grossness of water, and the mobility of air far from any outflowing, and the heat of fire there does not burn but shines, giving life to all things with its warmth.
Of the stars, moreover, Mars and the Sun are fiery; Jupiter and Venus, airy; Saturn and Mercury, watery; and earthy are those which inhabit the eighth sphere, and the Moon as well (which, however, is by most reckoned watery, in that, like the earth, it draws celestial waters to itself, and, imbibed by its own nearness, pours them out and communicates them to us). Among the signs, too, there are some fiery, some earthy, some airy, some watery; and they govern the elements in the heavens, distributing to those four triplicities the beginning, middle, and end proper to each element: thus fire has its beginning in Aries, its advance and increase in Leo, its end in Sagittarius; earth has its beginning in Taurus, its advance in Virgo, its extreme in Capricorn; air has its beginning in Gemini, its progress in Libra, its terminus in Aquarius; water holds its beginning in Cancer, its middle in Scorpio, its end in Pisces. From the mixtures, then, of these planets and signs, together with the elements, all bodies are composed.
Now indeed the demons too are distinguished from one another on this same principle, so that some are called fiery, some earthy, some airy, some watery. Hence those four rivers among the underworld powers: fiery Phlegethon, airy Cocytus, watery Styx, earthy Acheron. Indeed in the Gospels we read of the fire of gehenna, and the eternal fire into which the accursed shall be bidden to go; and in the Apocalypse is read the lake of fire; and Isaiah says of the damned: The Lord shall strike them with corrupted air; and in Job: They shall pass to excessive heat from the waters of snow; and in the same we read of a land dark and covered with the gloom of death, a land of misery and of shadows. Accordingly these elements are set also in those highest angels and blessed intelligences: for in them there is a stability of essence, an earthy force, by which the seats of God are made firm; and there is a mercy and piety, a watery power that cleanses (whence they are called waters by the Psalmist, where he says of heaven: Who rules the waters above it); there is also in them a subtle air, spirit, and a love shining like fire (whence they are called by the sacred writings a breathing of winds, and elsewhere the Psalmist says of them: Who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a burning fire).
And of the angelic orders, the fiery are the Seraphim, and the Virtues, and the Powers; the earthy are the Cherubim; the watery, the Thrones and Archangels; the airy, the Dominations and Principalities. And of the very archetype, maker of all things, was it not chosen [†]: Let the earth be opened, and let it bud forth a saviour? Is it not said of the same, a fountain of living water, cleansing and regenerating? Is not the same the spirit that breathes, the breath of life? And the same too, on the testimony of Moses and Paul, is a consuming fire. That the elements, then, are found everywhere, and in all things, each in its own way, no one can deny: first in these lower things, but hidden away and gross; in the celestial things, however, purer and more radiant; but in the things above the heavens, living, and blessed in every part. The elements are, therefore: in the archetype, the idea of the things to be produced; in the intelligences, distributed powers; in the heavens, powers (virtues); in the lower things, grosser forms.
Modern rendering
All the Platonists agree on this: just as in the archetypal world everything is present in everything else, the same holds in this physical world — everything is in everything, only in different ways depending on what's receiving it. The same is true of the elements. They aren't only found down here; they're also in the heavens, in the stars, in demons, in angels, and finally in God, the maker and archetype of everything. Down here the elements show up as coarse forms stuck in matter — material elements. But in the heavens they exist in their full nature and power, in a celestial mode far superior to anything below the moon. Up there, celestial earth is solid without water's heaviness, celestial air moves freely without dissipating, and celestial fire doesn't burn — it shines, giving life to everything with its warmth.
Among the stars, Mars and the Sun are fiery; Jupiter and Venus are airy; Saturn and Mercury are watery; and earthy are the fixed stars of the eighth sphere, along with the Moon (though most people call the Moon watery, since, like the earth, it draws celestial waters to itself and, having absorbed them through its nearness to us, pours them back out and shares them with us). Among the zodiac signs, some are fiery, some earthy, some airy, some watery, and they govern the elements in the heavens by dividing each of the four triplicities into a beginning, middle, and end for its element: fire begins in Aries, builds in Leo, and ends in Sagittarius; earth begins in Taurus, advances in Virgo, and ends in Capricorn; air begins in Gemini, progresses in Libra, and ends in Aquarius; water begins in Cancer, peaks in Scorpio, and ends in Pisces. All physical bodies are put together out of the mixing of these planets and signs together with the elements.
Demons, too, are divided from each other on the same basis — some fiery, some earthy, some airy, some watery. That's the source of the underworld's four rivers: fiery Phlegethon, airy Cocytus, watery Styx, earthy Acheron. We even find this in the Gospels, in the fire of hell and the eternal fire the damned are condemned to; in Revelation, in the lake of fire; and Isaiah says of the damned, The Lord will strike them with corrupted air; Job says, They pass from the waters of snow to extreme heat; and elsewhere in Job, a land dark and covered in the gloom of death, a land of misery and shadow. The elements show up even in the highest angels and blessed intelligences: they have a stable essence — an earthy force that makes God's throne firm; a mercy and compassion — a watery power that cleanses (which is why the Psalmist calls them waters, saying of heaven, Who rules the waters above it); and in them there's also a subtle air — spirit — and a fiery love (which is why scripture calls them a breath of winds, and the Psalmist elsewhere says of them, Who makes his angels spirits, and his servants a burning fire).
Among the ranks of angels, the fiery ones are the Seraphim, the Virtues, and the Powers; the earthy ones are the Cherubim; the watery ones are the Thrones and Archangels; the airy ones are the Dominations and Principalities. And wasn't it the archetype himself, maker of all things, who was chosen [†] when it was said: Let the earth open and bring forth a saviour? Isn't the same one called a fountain of living water, cleansing and regenerating? Isn't the same one the breathing spirit, the breath of life? And on the word of Moses and Paul, isn't that same one a consuming fire? So no one can deny that the elements turn up everywhere, in everything, each in its own way: first down here, though hidden and coarse; purer and brighter in the celestial realm; and, above the heavens, alive and blessed through and through. The elements, then, exist as: an idea of what is to be produced, in the archetype; as distributed powers, in the intelligences; as powers, in the heavens; and as coarser forms, down here below.
Editorial flags — draft status
- uncertain: 'non elegit"' before 'Aperiatur terra, et germinet salvatorem' is grammatically awkward; may be corrupted 'nonne legitur' (is it not read). Translated conservatively with [†] marker rather than silently resolved.
- list: Zodiacal triplicity assignments (Aries/Leo/Sagittarius = fire, etc.) and planet-element assignments (Mars/Sol=fire, Jupiter/Venus=air, Saturn/Mercury=water, fixed stars/Luna=earth) are legible and internally consistent with standard Agrippa doctrine; flagged per spec for manual re-verification against page image since a wrong planet/sign attribution is high-cost.
- list: Angelic-order to element correspondences (Seraphim/Virtues/Potestates=fire, Cherubim=earth, Throni/Archangeli=water, Dominationes/Principatus=air) — legible, flagged for verification per spec's correspondence-list caution.